young, broke, and beautiful

Art

I’m really digging this new video series (out of Vermillion, SD) called Songs from a Couch. It’s pretty self-explanatory. A creative, bearded man named Austin Kaus came up with the idea of having local artists sit on his couch and play one song in one take while recording it from one camera. Pretty simple idea, yet it offers a personal, acoustic look at songs that were not necessarily written for that context. Continue reading →

Local artist (and damn good Salt-n-Pepa impersonator) Zach DeBoer recently made a new print that I’m absolutely in love with. He made a post on Facebook asking for friends’ help coming up with as many names of South Dakota bands as possible. Now before you get in an uproar about ‘he missed this band’, remember that there are a LOT of bands from this state, and I’m sure he even listed some you never knew existed. Continue reading →

A few months ago I was approached by a local hip-hop musician to be a part of a new group forming in Sioux Falls. The group was made mainly of other rappers in the area, with the purpose of merging the music and the art communities.

Stay Live Method focuses on creating a connection between all artists: musicians, photographers, painters, poets, etc. The goal is to create a new scene; A community that provides high quality live events through the connection of all creatives (and those who support the arts).

Last week, I came across a post on Facebook about a local organization, the Museum of Visual Materials, asking for donations of recycled materials.

The Museum offers numerous great activities, from art shows to photography lessons to crafting daycare. In order to be able to provide so many events, they need to be as ‘green’ as possible.

I fully support the Museum and back their efforts. So I am putting out a call of action to all my friends: starting today, January 17 through Sunday, January 22, be a hoarder.

The list of materials they are currently taking as donations is long. And even better, they are things many people can easily find around the house. From old calendars and shirts to empty jars and egg cartons, the materials can easily be collected instead of thrown away.

On Sunday, January 22, I will be collecting these items to take in to donate FOR you. It’s that easy. All you have to do is set aside any items you want to get rid of on THIS LIST, then shoot me an email at thelucyrae (at) gmail (dot) com telling me, and I will arrange a time on Sunday to pick them up at your house. Don’t have anywhere to put the items? I will GIVE you a box to fill.

Winter has finally arrived and that means you are probably opting to stay inside more often. Make use of that time and collect some old items to get rid of. Keep some of the things you generally throw away: baby food jars, Kleenex boxes, tape dispensers, etc. Just make sure it’s on the list.

Supporting the community is more than attending events or sharing information. If we can make a huge donation just from a little effort like this, it’ll really be a big difference.

So again: Hoard anything on the list starting NOW. Email me at thelucyrae (at) gmail (dot) com and I will arrange a time to pick up your donations on Sunday, January 22.

It’s a really simple thing to do, even if you only hoard two things. It all helps.

The incredibly talented Shaine Schroeder is leaving our landlocked state for the beaches of California, and throwing one last hurrah.

Tonight at Bro’s Brasserie Americano (downtown Sioux Falls), Schroeder will be hosting an art show and raffle from 7-10 pm. The show will feature new and old prints and originals available for purchase. Raffle tickets can be purchased for $1 each to win a 36″ by 36″ painting (valued at $1400) but you MUST be present to win. You can also post the Facebook event on your profile to receive a free signed and numbered print at the show.

Shaine is hands down one of my favorite local artists, and I can only imagine what amazing things he will come up with on the coast. He has worked close with the music scene (you may remember seeing him create live paintings at JazzFest or the 605 Summer Classic last year) and is a big supporter of community arts. Check out his show tonight and purchase something to help fuel his move.

Tomorrow, several of my friends will be playing at Sioux Falls’ annual Jazzfest.

Now, this isn’t any ordinary show. It’s outdoors. It’s free. It has live art. It has dancers. It has light shows. And did I mention it’s FREE?

The night kicks off at 7 pm with 5-piece Jazz group, Polyphase. But the real fun kicks in at 8 pm with We All Have Hooks For Hands. I’ve been told there would be the infamous Jackson 5 cover (if only Eli could learn those dance moves), and I’m keeping my fingers crossed to hear the OMC song again. Continue reading →

The Ipso Gallery in downtown Sioux Falls is one of my favorite (if not THE favorite) place for art in town. Not only do they share space with the spectacular Fresh Produce gang, but they provide amazing gallery openings several times a year.